How does one know when a diesel engine on a big rig needs rebuilding GMAN? I know on a gasoline engine vehicle it's usually when the motor develops an appetite for oil.

 

I am not a mechanic, but I would consider rebuilding an engine if I started using a lot of oil and losing compression. When an engine starts using oil it seems that it isn't long before it needs a rebuild. If I was suspicious about the engine I would take to a garage that I trusted and have them check it out. You can have them put it on a computer and perhaps do a Dyno and find out what is going on with the engine. It could be something simple. I would not rebuild an engine until it actually needed it. I did have a CAT mechanic tell me that if he owned one of my trucks that he would go ahead and rebuild it due to the high miles. Of course, he could get parts at a discount and do the labor himself. That was about a year or so ago.

 

I dont know what kind of a ,,overhaul'' that is but i would run away from it as far as i could.

Complete overhaul of any engine runs right around 16K at either Detroit and a bit more on a CAT. Parts alone run over 10K and the rest is the labor. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERHAUL A TRUCK WITH GENUINE PARTS AT THE SHOP WHICH WILL GIVE YOU 2 YEAR WARRANTY NATIONWIDE FOR THAT PRICE unless they use cheap aftermarket parts and do shady service, give me a break.

As a matter of fact, if any shop quoted me that price i would run away from it and not actually believe it and even worse, think about doing my work there.

 

I'll take my mechanics word over yours thank you. He worked for Caterpillar for 25 years and could probably rebuild it in his sleep. His work on my truck so far has been top notch and reasonably priced. If something breaks I try to limp back home if possible so he'll fix it. I have spoke with other people who feel the same about his work ethic and the job he does. He's more than qualified, and is not "shady service."

Matter of fact, Buffalo Peterbilt tried to tell me I need plungers and barrels when I had them look at a fuel leak on the fuel pump, which I think they wanted 1000.00 to do. Well, that was BS, I limped it home to my mechanic and all it needed was o-rings.

An honest mechanic and an honest plumber are hard to find. I actually have both. :thumbsup:

 

That is the truth. Some of these garages will rape you if they think that they can get away with it.

Dejanh, a good friend of mine had his Cummins rebuilt about a year ago for just under $10,000. The cost of a rebuild can vary considerable according to what needs to be done. Some of them include a new head and other things which may or may not be needed. Some also recommend replacing all injectors when they rebuild. Parts run around $400 per injector. I would replace a turbo when doing a rebuild, but it may not be necessary. On my truck that would save $1,500 for a turbo. When a dealer does a rebuild they will usually replace everything including injectors, turbo and anything else they can think of. While it may be a good idea, it may not be necessary. The people who rebuilt my friend's Cummins didn't replace the injectors. The mechanic told him that it wasn't necessary. That saved him at least $2,400 just for parts. If you replace the radiator, oil charge cooler, etc., you can run up a pretty big bill. I had a mechanic tell me that he could rebuild my engine with about 30 hours labor. This is a certified CAT mechanic. It should not cost $16,000 to rebuild most engines. CAT told me that they would charge from $9-18,000 to rebuild my engine. If I let them do it I am sure we would be around the top figure. One of my trucks did have a CAT shop rebuild and the bill came to just over $18,000.

The only advantage to having any mechanical work done at a certified national shop is warranty. The problem comes in when it comes time to cash in on that warranty. It is difficult to get them to stand behind a warranty. That being the case, I would opt for saving the money and take my chances. If the mechanic has been certified by the engine manufacturer his work should be as good as any dealer and with a much smaller labor charge. Shops charge based upon a labor rate and time out of a book. A non dealer mechanic will often charge for what time he has in the job. That in itself could save hundreds and perhaps thousands of dollars.

 

It really depends on the level of rebuild as well, if you're going to do the turbo, head, injectors, front drive, etc...

A "basic" engine rebuild should be around 12k-15k. My Volvo was 13k with genuine Volvo parts, rebuilt by a Volvo dealership. This included the oil cooler, but not turbo, head, or injectors.

 

I fail to see why you give a crap what anybody else has. if I prefer a cat engine, how does that affect you?

 

Cheaper is not always better.

You get what you pay for, I've only had 4 trucks in 33 years, all Cats, all went over 1 million miles all never in framed, 2 are still going today.

Why fix something that isn't broke.

 

That is just awsome!!

 

I agree. I don't think you can beat their dependability. :thumbsup: